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Wednesday, 8 October 2014

Recent IELTS Essay Questions

Nowadays
more people are choosing to live with friends or alone rather than with their
families. This trend is likely to have a negative impact on communities.

Happiness
is considered very important in life.Why
is it difficult to define?What
factors are important in achieving happiness?

In
some parts of the world it is becoming popular to research the history of one's
own family. Why might people want to do this? Is it a positive or negative
development?

Families who send their children to private schools should
not be required to pay taxes that support the state education system.To
what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

Nowadays celebrities are more famous for their glamour and
wealth than for their achievements, and this sets a bad example to young
people.To
what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

When
choosing a job, the salary is the most important consideration. To what extent
do you agree or disagree?

Should
governments make decisions about people's lifestyle, or should people make
their own decisions?

Early
technological developments helped ordinary people and changed their lives more
than recent developments. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Nowadays
it is easy to apply for and be given a credit card. However, some people
experience problems when they are not be able to pay their debts back. In your
opinion, do the advantages of credit cards outweigh the disadvantages?

Throughout
history, people have dreamed of living in a perfect society. However, there is
still no agreement about what a perfect society would be like. What, in your
opinion, would be the most important element of a perfect society? What can
people do to help create an ideal society?

Governments should not have to provide care or financial
support for elderly people because it is the responsibility of each person to
prepare for retirement and support him or herself. To
what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?

Foreign
visitors should pay more than local visitors for cultural and historical
attractions. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?

Many
people say that we now live in 'consumer societies' where money and possessions
are given too much importance. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Economic
progress is often used to measure a country's success. However, some people
believe that other factors are more important. What other factors should also
be considered when measuring a country's success? Do you think one factor is
more important than others?

The
subjects that children are taught in schools are decided by central
authorities. Some people say that teachers, not politicians, should be responsible
for this task. To what extent you agree or disagree with this opinion?

Some
people think that governments should give financial support to creative artists
such as painters and musicians. Others believe that creative artists should be
funded by alternative sources. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

Nowadays animal experiments are widely used to develop new
medicines and to test the safety of other products. Some people argue that
these experiments should be banned because it is morally wrong to cause animals
to suffer, while others are in favour of them because of their benefits to
humanity.Discuss
both views and give your own opinion.

Some experts believe that it is better for children to begin
learning a foreign language at primary school rather than secondary school. Do
the advantages of this outweigh the disadvantages?

Successful
sports professionals can earn a great deal more money than people in other
important professions. Some people think this is fully justified while others
think it is unfair. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

Some
people prefer to spend their lives doing the same things and avoiding change.
Others, however, think that change is always a good thing. Discuss both these
views and give your own opinion.

After
leaving school or university, young people should choose a job or career that
they love, rather than one that pays the best salary. To what extent do you
agree with this statement?

n
the developed world, average life expectancy is increasing. What problems will
this cause for individuals and society? Suggest some measures that could be
taken to reduce the impact of ageing populations.

Increasing the price of petrol is the best way to solve
growing traffic and pollution problems.To
what extent do you agree or disagree?

What other measures do you think might be effective?

Some
people regard video games as harmless fun, or even as a useful educational
tool. Others, however, believe that videos games are having an adverse effect
on the people who play them. In your opinion, do the drawbacks of video games
outweigh the benefits?

More
houses are needed in many countries to cope with increasing populations. Would
it be better to build houses in existing towns and cities, or to develop new
towns in rural areas?

There
are many different types of music in the world today. Why do we need music? Is
the traditional music of a country more important than the international music
that is heard everywhere nowadays?

The
role of prisons should be to punish criminals who have committed serious
crimes. Training courses and education offered to prisoners are a waste of
taxpayer's money. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

In
many countries nowadays, young single people no longer stay with their parents
until they are married, but leave to study or work somewhere else.Do
you think this trend has more advantages or disadvantages?

Some people think that all teenagers should be required to
do unpaid work in their free time to help the local community. They believe
this would benefit both the individual teenager and society as a whole.Do
you agree or disagree?

The range and quality of food that we can buy has changed
because of technological and scientific advances. Some people regard this
change as an improvement, while others believe that it is harmful.Discuss
both views and give your own opinion.

Some people think that universities should provide
graduates with the knowledge and skills needed in the workplace. Others think
that the true function of a university should be to give access to knowledge
for its own sake, regardless of whether the course is useful to an employer.What,
in your opinion, should be the function of a university?

Some people believe that hobbies need to be difficult to be
enjoyable.To
what extent do you agree or disagree?

Nowadays the way many people interact with each other has
changed because of technology.In
what ways has technology affected the types of relationships that people make? Has
this been a positive or negative development?

These days people pay more attention to artists (writers,
painters and so on) and give less importance to science and technology.To
what extent do you agree or disagree?

Many people decide on a career path early in their lives
and keep to it. This, they argue, leads to a more satisfying working life.To
what extent do you agree with this view?What
other things can people do in order to have a satisfying working life?

In many cities, security measures, such as the use of video
cameras in public places, are being increased in order to reduce crime, but
some people believe that these measures restrict our individual freedom.Do
the benefits of increased security outweigh the drawbacks?

We cannot help everyone in the world that needs help, so we
should only be concerned with our own communities and countries.To
what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

In recent years, there has been growing interest in the
relationship between equality and personal achievement. Some people believe
that individuals can achieve more in egalitarian societies. Others believe that
high levels of personal achievement are possible only if individuals are free
to succeed or fail according to their individual merits.What
is your view of the relationship between equality and personal success?

Some
people believe that studying at university or college is the best route to a
successful career, while others believe that it is better to get a job straight
after school.Discuss
both views and give your opinion.

In some countries, governments are encouraging industries
and businesses to move to regional areas outside the big cities.Do
the advantages of this trend outweigh the disadvantages?

In the last century, the first man to walk on the moon said
it was "a giant leap for mankind”. However, some people think it has made
little difference to our daily lives.To
what extent do you agree or disagree?

In the last century, the first man to walk on the moon said
it was "a giant leap for mankind”. However, some people think it has made
little difference to our daily lives.To
what extent do you agree or disagree?

It is right that university graduates should earn more
money than less well educated people, but they should pay the full cost of
their education.To
what extent do you agree or disagree?

Happiness
is considered very important in life.Why is
it difficult to define?What
factors are important in achieving happiness?

Universities
should accept equal numbers of male and female students in every subject. To
what extent do you agree or disagree?

Some
people believe that the salaries paid to professional sportspeople are too
high, while others argue that sports salaries are fair.Discuss
both views and give your opinion.

Some people think that museums should be enjoyable places
to entertain people, while others believe that the purpose of museums is to educate.Discuss
both views and give you own opinion.

Some
people believe that studying at university or college is the best route to a
successful career, while others believe that it is better to get a job straight
after school.Discuss
both views and give your opinion.

As most people spend a major part of their adult life at
work, job satisfaction is an important element of individual well-being.What
factors contribute to job satisfaction?How
realistic is the expectation of job satisfaction for all workers?

Some people think that in the modern world we have become
more dependent on each other, while others think that people are now more
independent. Discuss
both views and give your own opinion.

Competitiveness is considered to be a positive quality
among people.How
does competitiveness affect individuals?Is
competitiveness a positive or negative quality?

Several languages are in danger of extinction because they
are spoken by very small numbers of people. Some people say that governments
should spend public money on saving these languages, while others believe that
would be a waste of money.Discuss
both these views and give your opinion.

Women
should have an equal role alongside men in both police and armed forces. To
what extent do you agree or disagree?

Some
people think schools should group pupils according to their academic ability,
but others believe pupils with different abilities should be educated together.
Discuss both views and give your opinion.

Despite
improvements in vehicle technology, there are still large numbers of road
accidents. Explain some of the causes of these accidents, and suggest some
measures that could be taken to address the problem.

Marriages
are bigger and more expensive nowadays than in the past. Why is this the case?
Is it a positive or negative development?

Many
people say that we now live in 'consumer societies' where money and possessions
are given too much importance. Others believe that consumer culture has played
a vital role in improving our lives.Discuss
both views and give your opinion.

Water is a natural resource that should always be free.
Governments should ban the sale of bottled water.To
what extent do you agree or disagree?

The
money spent by governments on space programmes would be better spent on vital
public services such as schools and hospitals. To what extent do you agree or
disagree?

Despite
huge improvements in healthcare, the overall standard of physical health in
many developed countries is now falling. What could be the reason for this
trend, and what can be done to reverse it?

More
and more people are migrating to cities in search of a better life, but city
life can be extremely difficult. Explain some of the difficulties of living in
a city. How can governments make urban life better for everyone?

Some people prefer to live in hot climates, whereas others
love the lifestyle in countries with cold climates.Discuss
both views and explain which climate you prefer.

Some
people believe that the range of technology available to individuals today is
increasing the gap between rich people and poor people, while others say that
technology has the opposite effect. Discuss both views and give your opinion.

It
has been said that the world is becoming a global village in which there are no
boundaries to trade and communication. Do the benefits of globalisation
outweigh the drawbacks?

Some
people think that school children need to learn practical skills such as car
maintenance or bank account management along with the academic subjects at
school. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Many
criminals re-offend after they have been punished. Why do some people continue
to commit crimes after they have been punished, and what measures can be taken
to tackle this problem?

More
and more students are choosing to study at colleges and universities in a
foreign country. Do the benefits of studying abroad outweigh the drawbacks?

Explain
some of the ways in which humans are damaging the environment. What can
governments do to address these problems? What can individual people do?

Many
people believe that parents are not as close to their children as they used to
be. Suggest some reasons why this could be true.

Can
you think of any social benefits of immigration? Are there any economic or
social disadvantages?

Traffic
congestion is becoming a huge problem for many major cities. Suggest some
measures that could be taken to reduce traffic in big cities.

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